Page 63 of Off the Stick
I’ve tried keeping my interest in Dane’s game tonight low-key and under wraps, cheering loudly for the entire team, not just Ax’s performance.But I’m not known for my poker face.I’m sure my interest in him is displayed like a billboard sign in Times Square.
“Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on.We have history, but it was short-lived.I guess we’re just exploring what it looks like now.”
“If you want my opinion,” Helena adds, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.“I think it looks really good on you both.I’ve never seen Dane so smitten.And it’s no secret he has a reputation for being…”
“A player?”I interrupt on a laugh.
“Yeah, but not in a bad way.There’s just a lot of turnover, and he’s not into serious relationships.But you”—Helena pats my thigh with her gloved hand—“are a good fit for him.You’re responsible, stable, smart, and so damn cute.”
“Thanks,” I say, blushing at her compliment.Sitting with these two women gives me the courage to share a little more.“I do like Dane… a lot.But I have more than myself to think about.”
They both share sympathetic looks and let the conversation drop.Soon, the refs return to the ice, and the teams skate out of their respective tunnels.
“Ooh, look,” Sommer exclaims, pointing to the ice.“They’re ready to play again.This is so exciting.Let’s go, Vikings!”
Our attention returns to the center of the arena, and we chant and cheer together for our team, the men we’re rooting for looking like the Vikings they are as they head into overtime play.
31
Dane
Nothing compares to winning a hard-fought game and then following it up with a great night out with friends.And tonight was that kind of night.
Cale and Sommer had catered a dinner at their house, and we spent the evening playing stupid card games and getting to know the women, especially Sommer.Every time I managed to look at Halle, her face was glowing.It’s given me a full heart to know I was able to offer her this adult night out.
She may not ever admit it to me, but after all the stress of moving, starting a new job, getting Lenni settled in a new daycare arrangement, and recovering from her illness, she undoubtedly needed a night to enjoy adult company.
So did I.And hanging out with the two other couples has been good, clean fun, but not dull.
And as we near the end of the night, I don’t want to let Halle go.
We haven’t had a chance to talk about the things between us or what’s ahead.It’s the elephant that sits in the room between us, and I want to kick it out and close that distance.
“Thanks for teaching our daughter the Ax move, by the way,” she jokes from the passenger seat of my car, sarcasm dripping from her tone as she demonstrates the motion for me.“Lenni wouldn’t stop doing it when I told her about today’s plans.”
I laugh, briefly taking my eyes off the road to smile at her.It’s surreal to have her alone in my car again.We spent a shitload of time together in the front and backseat of my old Jeep, talking, joking, and making out.And when things got really intense, she’d climb on top of me with my seat laid out flat, and we’d fog up the windows from the heat of our bodies.
We were desperate and wild for each other, and I never wanted anyone as much as I wanted Halle.I was mesmerized by her smile.Her taste.Her fearlessness.And her effervescent light that outshone even the sun.
The sad part was we both knew the clock was ticking, that things would get complicated when she left for school.I may have been an adolescent on the cusp of adulthood, but in my heart, I was willing to go the distance.At least, I had told myself that.Halle had been right, though.We were too young, and it wouldn’t have ended on a good note.I was not up to the task at the time.
But I’m ready for it now.
Knowing what I do now, I realize my desire for Halle wasn’t just because I was young and horny.It was a deep gnawing centered straight in the middle of my gut.I craved her like a starving man craves food.
And that hasn’t changed one bit.It’s only intensified since she’s returned to my life.
I grin at the fact that she didn’t saymydaughter this time.It could be just a slip of the tongue, but I want to believe she’s finally turned the corner and made the decision to allow me to be part of Lenni’s life.
Not as a trusted adult friend, but as her father.
That one word fills me with hope that we can move forward.Together.As a couple and as a family.
The evening is cool, but we have the windows cracked, letting the autumn night air filter in.I turn down my street, lined with maples that have all but lost their leaves, and pull into my driveway.I watch her from the corner of my eye as she scans the house in front of us.
“Is this your place?”
I turn off the ignition and shift in my seat toward her.My gaze roams over her as I drink her in.
